Alternative Therapies

Nowadays people are getting more in tune with natural health after learning that drugs, medications and quick fixes are not effective in the long run. Alternative medicine is a comprehensive approach to healing that uses natural methods to bring physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual harmony. It does not rely on drugs, surgery and other conventional medical procedures.

History of Alternative Medicine
Alternative medicine dates back as far as 5,000 B.C.E. with Traditional Chinese Medicine in China and Ayurvedic Medicine in India . Healing traditions also exist in most cultures, from African to South American. These forms of medicine are based on the harmony between mind, body, and spirit and a belief in the vital energy of the body. True health is achieved when there is balance in the whole person and harmony with the environment.

Alternative Medicine features :

Alternative therapies use the healing power of nature.
It is based on the body’s innate ability to establish, maintain, and restore health.
The underlying cause of disease must be treated, rather than merely masking the symptoms.
Alternative medicine is based on the harmony between physical, mental, emotional, spiritual, and environmental.
The doctor’s role is to educate the patient on lifestyle changes, self-care, and prevention of disease.
The ultimate goal of health is to promote optimal health. The doctor assesses risk factors and teaches the patient to improve these areas.
Users of alternative medicine believe that the focus of conventional medicine is too narrow. Drugs don’t address the reasons why illness develops. People start to believe that chronic diseases such as digestive problems, headache, allergies, and heartburn are a way of life, and once it happens there will be a pharmaceutical drug to take away the symptoms. The power of a person to prevent disease is forgotten.

Weight loss and Alternative Therapies
We need to understand the fact that our body weight is based on our body type, genetics, and eating patterns, and not on “industry standards.” There are also cases where excess weight is gained because of conditions such as food allergies, sluggish metabolism, chemical toxicity, insulin imbalance, excessive dieting, psychological factors, and nutritional deficiencies. All of these conditions are often treatable with alternative therapies.

Yoga and Tai Chi are among the exercise or relaxation techniques that can reduce anxiety and increase body awareness. Alternative therapies may help with some of the symptoms of anorexia, and can serve as useful adjuncts to treatments that address nutrition and the emotional roots of the disorder.

Aromatherapy is the art, and science, of using oils extracted from aromatic plants to enhance health and beauty. Essential oils derived from plants can have subtle effects on the mind and emotions.